Death of a Miner
by wilmot
Summary: When Alan Pritchard dies in a accident does Gail have a chance to be with Steph?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Usual disclaimer applies, Pride doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the brilliant Stephen Beresford and the people of LGSM and the Dulais Valley.**

Alan Pritchard's day started like any other, slightly hung over! His wife, Gail, cooked him a full breakfast and sent him off to work.

At 12:10 pm Gail got the call miners' wives dread, Alan had been in an accident – the roof he was putting up props to support had come down on him. He was buried alive.

Gail went to the colliery straight away. Well, almost straight away, she rang her friend Steph in London to tell her first, they'd chatted for a bit. Gail usually felt better after talking to Steph but this time she felt something else: guilt.

Gail waited at the pithead for news. Sian and Margaret were with her. A couple of hours later the men started to come to the surface, all with grim faces. The rescue and recovery team had gone down an hour earlier.

"They're digging through but it is going to be a long job. Got to take it slow or risk further falls." said Martin when he joined them after he had showered and changed.

Gail started to cry. "He's dead isn't he?" she said between sobs.

"We don't know that yet." Cliff had joined them.

Margaret gives Gail a hug.

"What was that?" said Margaret, she thought she'd heard Gail whisper something but wasn't sure.

"I said I wish Steph was here. Silly I know but I do wish it."

Margaret smiled at her. "Listen, love, there's no such thing as silly in this situation. Anyone got her number? Or any of the others? They should be told."

"I've already told her, rang her when I got the news!" Gail is now sobbing uncontrollably.

"Ah" said Cliff who instinctively understood.

"Well then," said Margaret, "We'll get her here."

"Is that really what you want Gail?" Asked Cliff.

"Of course she does, look at her." said Margaret.

Sian said nothing but understood what was happening. She and Cliff had separately had suspicions about what was going on in Gail's mind regarding Steph.

"You two know don't you? I can see it in your faces!" Gail virtually screamed.

"Know what?" said Margaret, a little taken aback.

Martin looked at Sian: "What the..." suddenly the penny dropped. He's not quite as sharp as his wife but he isn't stupid.

Margaret's hand went over her mouth as she too realised what was going on. Then she grabbed Gail into a huge hug. "Oh you poor girl, you poor poor girl."

Dai walked up. "Someone had better tell LGSM. They'll want to know."

"Seems like they've been told, Dai. First thing Gail did was ring Steph..." replied Martin.

"Oh, I see."

"Do you?"

"Well they were always friendly, I thought."

"Looks like..."

"Yeah I _do_ know. But I'll ring them anyway, make it official." said Dai, he turned to his wife "Look after her will you? I think she should stay with us tonight."

"Of course." said Margaret.

Maureen Barry had been isolated since the strike. No longer on the Welfare Committee, she was also quite bitter but when her boys came home early she was concerned. She'd lost her husband to the pit after all.

"It's Alan Pritchard." said Lee.

"Roof collapsed, buried." Johnny could barely get the words out.

Maureen hugged them.

Meanwhile Dai is on the phone talking to Gethin.

"You may already know, Gail phoned Steph..."

"Yeah she's been on. She's wondering if she should go down."

"Well, yeah that is for her and Gail to decide."

"Ah."

"Yeah. Well I thought I'd better tell you, make it official so to speak..."

"I don't suppose there is any news on Alan yet..."

"No, but it doesn't look good. Still the rescue team got here quite quickly."

They finish the phone call and Dai grabbd coats for him and Margaret. He then goes back to the pithead.

When he got there he pulled Margaret to one side.

"Listen, I've spoken to Gethin in London. Steph is wondering if she should come down, could you talk to Gail? I want her to think before she decides."

"Yes."

Margaret went back and pulled Gail to one side.

"Dai's spoken to Gethin. Steph is thinking of coming."

Gail opened her mouth to speak but Margaret carried on. "I want you to think before making a decision. I know it would be a comfort to have her here but most of the village either know or suspect."

Gail couldn't believe her ears. "Know what?"

"That you're in love with her." Gail opened her mouth and shut it. Margaret continued: "It is true I can see it on your face. Does Alan know?"

"Things haven't been good for some years but I don't think he knows."

"OK, once this is over you need to tell him. He needs to know that."

Gail paused before replying: "What if he comes out of there disabled? How am I going to tell him then? Tell me that!"

"If you don't it'll eat away at both of you. You'll end up worse than Maureen, do you want that?"

"No I don't. Oh I don't know, I'll think about it. Thanks."

They left to re-join the group.

A few hours passed with no news.

Hefina arrived in the van.

"Listen. I've got soup for everyone. Now who needs a coat fetching. Ah yes Gail I see you managed to grab yours before leaving. Now anyone rung London?" Hefina was her usual practical self.

"Yes, I've spoken to Gethin." said Dai not wanting to reveal much in front of the whole crowd.

"Now then, that's the rest of them sorted, let's look after you." she said turning to Gail, her voice softening. "Come here into the warm." she said pointing to the van, "I've had the heating on."

Gail meekly followed her into the van.

"Now love, have you told Steph." Hefina says now they were in the van.

"Don't tell me you know too!"

"I've known since our trip to London. Who else knows?"

"Dai, Margaret, Sian, Martin, Cliff and, well, it seems half the village!"

"Oh, love. Have you told her, about today I mean."

"Yes, first thing I did after I got the news."

"Now if she comes down she can't stay with you, can she? Not with half the village knowing or suspecting..."

"S'pose not!" Gail was crying again.

"I'll talk to Sian, get something sorted out. She's clever, that one."

A knock on the van. Hefina opened the door. Dai's face told them all they needed to know. The Slaughter House* had struck again. The rescue team had found Alan's lifeless body crushed under the rubble. There would be an inquiry of course but it seemed like a simple accident.

* This was actually the nick-name of a colliery further south in the Dulais Valley called Cefn Coed which is now a museum.


	2. Chapter 2

In London someone knocked on Steph's door, Joe answered.

"Phone call for Steph. Some Welsh woman!"

"OK I'll get it."

Joe picked up the receiver on the communal pay phone. "Steph is in the bath. I'll take a message"

"Joe! Hi have you heard about Alan?" Joe was not surprised to hear Sian's voice.

"Awful news."

"Yeah well, there'll be a funeral."

"He's dead?"

"Yes. Thing is, Gail wants Steph to come down as soon as she can. But the situation is a bit delicate."

"Yeah?"

"Do I need to spell it out?"

"Well they are friendly but I am with Martin..."

"There's a bit more to it than that."

Suddenly Joe understood. He was still a bit naive, but not stupid.

"Oh!"

"So I was wondering if you'd come with her?"

"If you think it'll help then yes of course, and anyway it'd be good to see you all."

"Yes, it'd be good to see you too, sad though!"

"Yeah, sorry, give my condolences to Gail."

"No need to be sorry love."

"I'll talk to Steph when she's out of the bath..."

"OK love"

"Bye."

"Bye."

They put the phones down.

Joe went back to the room he shared with Steph. He sat down and thought. It was a good job he was moving into that other room in the building. Gail and Steph would need privacy. Or maybe Steph would move to Wales...

Steph got out of the bath and went to her room with her robe on. She dressed in front of Joe.

"Sian phoned. Alan's dead. Gail wants you to go down but it is a bit awkward."

"Awkward?..."

"Yeah what with you two being in love and half the village suspecting..."

"Oh." Steph sank slowly into a chair.

"So Sian thinks it'd be a good idea if I came too."

"That cover was for your parents. I don't think it'll work in Wales." Steph laughed despite the seriousness of the situation.

"I think it is that there is more than one LGSM person. Not just you."

"Oh yeah, could work." Steph was suddenly serious and solemn.

"We'll be staying with Sian."

"Yeah, leave tomorrow morning?"

"That's the plan."

Meanwhile in Onllwyn Margaret was consoling Gail.

Dai walked in.

"That was Sian, on the phone like, Staph is coming down tomorrow with Joe. Sian thought it'd be better if Joe came too..."

Gail nodded, understanding. Margaret smiled at Dai.

"The Coroner has released the body as the cause of death is obvious so you'll need to register the death. And take a certificate to the mines office to claim widow's pension. You'll get it for life. Why don't you do that tomorrow morning, it'll give you the chance to meet Steph and Joe from the train. We can talk about the funeral later."

"Will I need to take anything with me to the council and the mines office?"

"Alan's birth certificate and your marriage certificate."

"I don't think I can face the house."

"Tell me where they are and I'll get them."

Gail gave him the house keys and told him where to find everything.

"Thanks Dai. You know that look you two just exchanged? I never understood it until I met Steph.."

Gail slept fitfully that night. She felt a mix of emotions that was overwhelming. She'd married at sixteen. Alan had proposed and she'd accepted. Life for an unmarried woman was difficult in the valleys and she'd grabbed the first chance she could without finding out who she was. She knew she ought to give herself a bit of time now. But Steph...

_Next Morning_

Sian and Gail waited in the van at Neath railway station, at 10am a train from London pulled in.

Steph and Joe got off the train and onto the platform. Steph was obviously nervous so Joe held her hand.

They got into the van, Joe in the front, Steph joined Gail in the back.

Steph and Gail hugged.

"You OK?" Steph asked.

"I am now." replied Gail.

"Now, we need to go to the council, to deal with some paperwork and then the mines office." said Sian.

By the time they were back in Onllwyn Steph and Gail had had a chat not minding Sian and Joe in the front of the van. They had decided a few things, firstly that Gail would stay in Onllwyn until after the funeral. Then she would tell everyone that she was going to take a holiday, to help her get over Alan's death. What she'd actually do was to stay with Steph to see if they had a chance of working.

They got out of the van and Dai greeted them, the pit was closed until the safety team had cleared away the debris and made the seam safe..

"All done then?" he asked.

"Just the funeral to organise now." said Sian

"Where is the undertakers?" asked Joe.

"Neath but we can organise that over the phone." Sian replied. "Right now one of you two needs to ring Gethin, tell him you got here safely."

"That reminds me, the inquiry will open tomorrow." said Dai.

They all went to Sian's house.

"Steph, I'll ring Gethin!" said Joe.

"Gail, why don't you go and help Steph unpack." said Sian.

While Joe was ringing Gethin downstairs Gail and Steph were upstairs.

"OK now, how are you really?" Steph asked when they were alone.

"This is going to sound terrible, but all I feel is relief... I suppose I am sad that he's gone. But right now I wish it was me getting on the train to London this morning to start up life with you."

"I hope you're not expecting anything as grand as Jonathon and Gethin's place. I've got one room with shared kitchen, bathroom, and toilet. Not even my own phone." said Steph.

"As long as we're together. But I'll have some money, maybe we could look for somewhere." said Gail.

"I take it you haven't looked at London prices..."

"Well I did notice the beer was pricey..."

Steph smiles. "We'll be lucky to find a rabbit hutch for what you'd get for a house here."

"Oh. But all your friends are there."

"So? Your friends are here."

"Not all of them." Gail smiled.

"True. And some of mine are."

"Then there's work, I'll need to find something. Nothing round here for women. I don't know: I just think London will be easier for us."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you lot coming in is one thing, me turning lesbian is quite another."

"I just don't want you to burn your bridges here."

"I might not even be able to sell the house if the pit closes."

"OK then. I give in."

There was a knock on the front door. Sian opened it to find Gwen on the doorstep.

"One of my lesbians is here! Where is she?" Gwen almost couldn't get the words out in her excitement.

"You see the problem?" Gail said to Steph, "Round here we'll be either total goddesses or demons. I want to be human."

Gwen's hearing is better than her age would normally indicate "Is that Gail's voice? I always knew she shouldn't have married that idiot!"

"Oh God another one knows!" Gail whispered to Steph.

"Maybe it is time to brazen it out?" Steph whispered back.

Steph took Gail's hand and lead her downstairs. Gail pulled Steph back and kissed her.

"Yeah you're right!" Gail said in her normal voice as she released Steph's lips.


End file.
